The present invention generally relates to a system and method for rapidly conveying the images contained on a plurality of documents between distant locations. The invention more particularly relates to a system wherein the documents are scanned one at a time in rapid succession to generate a serial bit map of digital data representative of the images contained on each document, wherein the digital data is transmitted from one location to another where it is received and wherein the digital data is then used to recreate the images contained on the original documents. The present invention finds particular utility in the data conversion field.
Data conversion is the process by which information is converted from one form to another; for example, from hard copy form to digital data form stored on a storage medium such as a memory disk or magnetic recording tape. Data conversion services are utilized in a wide variety of fields, such as in banking, credit card services, overnight package or letter delivery services, and most any other service wherein transactions are first conducted in hard copy form and wherein the hard copy information is required, within a short time thereafter, to be entered into a computer system for recordkeeping, verification, tracking or billing purposes.
As can be appreciated from the above, there is a great need for data conversion services in today's commerce and trade. Many organizations in need of such services however, are either not large enough or unwilling to expend the resources required to perform the data conversion necessary in their businesses within their own organizations. As a result, organizations have hired out such services to companies, such as the assignee of the present invention, which provide data conversion services.
In the past, and up to the present time, companies which provide data conversion services have been regional in nature and have been able to serve only a limited geographical area within a rather close proximity to their data conversion facilities. The regional nature of these businesses has, to a large measure, been caused by the age old problems associated with time and distance which have plagued and limited this industry for years.
Time and distance have been a problem because the businesses which need data conversion require a quick turnaround time from the moment a transaction is entered into to the time when computer input must be made. In the overnight shipping field, for example, it is not uncommon for data conversion to be required within twenty-four hours. Even though literally thousands of hard copies must be data converted, a data conversion facility located near to the point of the transactions can usually handle such a schedule. However, a data conversion facility located just a few hundred miles away does not have enough time to obtain the hard copies, transport them back to the data conversion facility, and then convert the data from hard copy form to a computer usable, or digital, form within the required time.
To overcome the problems associated with time and distance, the data conversion field requires a system and method for rapidly conveying the images contained in hard copy form from a point in close proximity to the place of origination to a distant location at which the hard copy data may be converted to computer digital data form. While facsimile machines are known for transmitting document images from one point to another, these machines are relatively slow requiring about one-half minute to transmit the contents of just one letter-sized document. Given the fact that the information contained on literally thousands of documents, such as airbills for example, must be data converted in less than twenty-four hours, facsimile machines are not suitable for alleviating the problems of time and distance. In addition, facsimile machines do not transmit control data for groups of documents.